Johnson tops Cook, Bommarito beats Shalack as Senior men and women champions crowned at USMC Beach Nationals

Jamel Johnson locks up an opponent at the 2023 USMC Beach Nationals. Photo by Joe Wedra.

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — The 2023 U.S. Marine Corps Beach Wrestling National Championships was a success on Saturday, as plenty of Beach wrestling action took place alongside the Atlantic Ocean just outside of Wilmington under sunny blue skies.

In addition to earning national titles, this event is a part of the U.S. qualification process for the 2023 World Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia.

On the men’s side, there were four entertaining best-of-three finals series, highlighted by Jamel Johnson’s win at 70 kg. He lost the first match of his series against Mitchell Cook of the Natural Athlete Wrestling Club, but came back to defeat Cook in the next two matches to win the series. Johnson has been a National Team Greco-Roman member competing for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army.

Cook is currently ranked No. 6 in the world in the UWW qualifying process for the Beach World Games. If Cook is able to qualify the USA for the World Beach Games in the final qualifier in Singapore in early June, there will be a special wrestle-off between Johnson and Cook for the berth on the U.S. World Beach Games team.

At 80 kg, Jamal Morris of Cardinal Gibbons defeated Wayne Lamont in back-to-back matches to win his second career Beach Nationals title. Morris was also Senior Beach Nationals champion in 2021.

Currently, Ty Loethen, who did not compete in Carolina Beach, is ranked No. 7, in the world in the UWW qualifying process for the Beach World Games. If Cook is able to qualify the USA for the World Beach Games in the final qualifier in Singapore in early June, there will be a special wrestle-off between Loethen and Morris for the U.S. team berth. Morris is also ranked No. 12 in the world in the UWW qualifying process. If Morris qualifies the weight class in Singapore, he gets the U.S. berth at the World Beach Games.

At 90 kg and the 90+ kg weight class, training partners from Colorado won in two consecutive matches to secure a pair of Beach Nationals championship wins. Tyson Beauperthuy (90 kg) and Kyle Ferriter (Over 90 kg) both were dominant to pick up their first-place finishes, both winning their series in two straight matches.

On the women’s side, Sofia Macaluso of New York (60 kg) was the first female wrestler of the day to win her bracket. She defeated Taylor Colangelo of Keokuk Kids Wrestling in two matches to earn winner’s status. Macaluso is an NCWWC All-American for East Stroudsburg University.

Sofia’s sister Mia Macaluso, who did not wrestle in Carolina Beach, is currently ranked No. 5 in the world in the UWW qualifying process for the Beach World Games. If Mia Macaluso is able to qualify the USA for the World Beach Games in the final qualifier in Singapore in early June, there will be a special wrestle-off between the Macaluso sisters for the spot on the U.S. World Beach Games team.

Next, Anastasia Hardin of Kentucky taking a photo with a Beach Nationals stop sign in front of the crowd at Carolina Beach. Hardin defeated Samantha Hauff of Georgia at 70 kg in two matches with both wins coming in under 90 seconds.

In the 70+ kg finals, Eliana Bommarito of the Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club was the winner. She defeated Isabeau Shalack of the Colorado Mesa Wrestling club, highlighted by a quick 16-second victory in the second match of the series.

Shalack is currently ranked No. 6 in the world in the UWW qualifying process for the Beach World Games. If Shalack is able to qualify the USA for the World Beach Games in the final qualifier in Singapore in early June, there will be a special wrestle-off between Shalack and Bommarito for the berth on the U.S. World Beach Games team.

At 50 kg, Jennesis Martinez was the only competitor in the bracket, finishing first. Martinez, who wrestles for the Colorado Mesa Wrestling Club, did wrestle in a pair of exhibition matches on Saturday and won both of those bouts.

Martinez will earn a Special Wrestle-off for the U.S. World Beach Team if Laura White, who did not compete in Carolina Beach, is able to qualify the USA for a berth at this weight class at the World Beach Games. White is currently ranked No. 6 in the the UWW qualifying process for the Beach World Games.

Overall, the day was an overwhelming success for both competitors and fans who attended at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.

Full results from the finals can be found below and fans can access final results and brackets from the event on TrackWrestling.

The 2023 USMC Beach Nationals Senior-level results are also be part of the consideration for U.S. athletes seeking to compete in the four remaining 2023 Beach World Series events. If more than three U.S. athletes wish to compete in a specific weight class at a Beach World Series event, their 2023 Beach Nationals placement is the first result data used in that consideration.

A story on the other age-levels at the USMC Beach Nationals will be posted later today.

USMC BEACH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Jacksonville, Fla., May 20

Senior Men's Finals results

70 kg
1st: Jamel Johnson (Kobra Kai)
2nd: Mitchell Cook (Natural Athlete WC)
3rd: Justin Benjamin (The Royal)

Finals series: Jamel Johnson (Kobra Kai) defeats Mitchell Cook (Natural Athlete WC), two matches to one
Bout One: Cook pin Johnson, 0:30
Bout Two: Johnson pin Cook, 0:39
Bout Three: Johnson pin Cook, 0:59

80 kg
1st: Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons)
2nd: Wayne Lamont (Dynamic Wrestling Academy)
3rd: Aidan Lenz (Charleston RTC)
4th: Nicholas Vugman (Florida)

Finals series: Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons) defeats Wayne Lamont (Dynamic Wrestling Academy), two matches to one
Bout One: Morris pin Lamont, 0:31
Bout Two: Morris pin Lamont, 0:59

90 kg
1st: Tyson Beauperthuy (Colorado)
2nd: Terrence Zaleski (Pack732)
3rd: John Parker (Fort Madison WC)
4th: Ryan Whittle (Pennsylvania)

Finals series: Tyson Beauperthuy (Colorado) defeats Terrence Zaleski (Pack732), two matches to none
Bout One: Beauperthuy pin Zaleski 1:46
Bout Two: Beauperthy pin Zaleski, 2:38

90+ kg
1st: Kyle Ferriter (Colorado)
2nd: Carless Looney
3rd: Mm Grant (Maryland)
4th: Gabriel Rangel (Illinois)

Finals series: Kyle Ferriter (Colorado) defeats Carless Looney, two matches to none
Bout One: Ferriter pin Looney, 2:51
Bout Two: Ferriter pin Looney, 1:53

Senior Women’s results

50 kg
1st: Jennesis Martinez (Colorado Mesa WC)

60 kg
1st: Sofia Macaluso (New York)
2nd: Taylor Colangelo (Keokuk Kids Wrestling)
3rd: Josephine Wearmouth (Iowa)

Finals series: Sofia Macaluso (New York) defeats Taylor Colangelo (Keokuk Kids Wrestling), two matches to none
Bout One: Macaluso pin Colangelo, 1:02
Bout Two: Macaluso pin Colangelo, 0:52

70 kg
1st: Anastasia Hardin (Kentucky)
2nd: Samantha Hauff (Georgia)
3rd: Kaylee Anderson (Virginia)
4th: Savannah Pitts (Florida)

Finals series: Anastasia Hardin (Kentucky) defeats Samantha Hauff (Georgia), two matches to none
Bout One: Hardin pin Hauff, 1:13
Bout Two: Hardin pin Hauff, 0:47

70+ kg
1st: Eliana Bommarito (Michigan Revolution WC)
2nd: Isabeau Shalack (Colorado Mesa)
3rd: Katelyn Lewis (Wisconsin)
4th: Maren Anderson (Natural Athlete WC)

Finals series: Eliana Bommarito (Michigan Revolution WC) defeats Isabeau Shalack (Colorado Mesa), two matches to none
Bout One: Bommarito pin Shalack, 1:04
Bout Two: Bommarito pin Shalack, 0:16